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101 Things to Do This Summer

Laurel Springs SchoolHomeschool.com

20104 Jun

COMMENTS

Can you believe that summer is already here? What do you have planned for the next 2 ½ months? Swim dates, family vacations, 4th of July festivities and more? As much as you have planned, and as much as your kids are looking forward to summer, you know there will come a time when you hear your child say, "Mom, I'm bored, what can I do?"

Laurel Springs School offers you 101 ideas to keep their minds and bodies busy. Kids can choose any activity they are interested in and complete them in any order they like (your children might enjoy checking them off as they complete them). Some items require parental permission but others are suitable for kids to complete on their own. Many can be done with the entire family.

Take a moment to review the list. Then print it out and give it to your children when they start complaining of boredom. With these 101 suggestions, you may just escape the "I'm bored" doldrums this summer.

2. Interview your grandparents. They're interesting people! Find out what games they played when they were young, what their parents were like (your great-grandparents), what kind of clothes they wore, etc. If you can, record the interview. You'll be glad you did. http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm

3. Learn a new talent. What do you really wish you could do? Talk to your parents about it—they can help you achieve your goals.

4. Do yard workfor an elderly neighbor. It will make you feel good and your neighbor will really appreciate it.

6. Make handmade gifts and cards for upcoming special events/occasions. If none are looming, make some up! Your cat's birthday, perhaps?

7. Learn about musicals. Watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. Note how modern music has incorporated musical lyrics from these productions. Discuss how these musicals would be different if made today. These are FUN musicals—you will enjoy them.

8. Read The Little Prince. This is a phenomenal piece of literature with multiple layers, and it's a short read. Discover why it has been translated into more than 180 languages and why it has sold more than 80 million copies making it one of the best-selling books ever.

9. Walk around your block and pick up all the litter you can find. Take a trash bag... or two...

13. Spend one afternoon of quality time with each individual person in your family. Have a tea party with your little sister, play cards with you brother, and hang out with your Dad. Enjoy those that you love.

39. Talk to your parents about what you'd like to learn next year in your homeschool program. Chances are your parents are looking at curriculums now—so now is the time to speak up!

40. Find a mentor. Want to learn a specific skill or knowledge. See if someone in the community can be your mentor. This can be a family member, family friend, or someone you don't even know yet.

41. Finger paint!

42. Celebrate National Fudge Day and National Eat Your Vegetables Day. Read the June 11 Daily News at Homeschool.com for some fun ideas on how to combine the two. It's entitled Chocolate Covered Carrots!

43. On a really hot day, go to the dollar movies and enjoy the air conditioning!

63. Barter your services. Want to ride a horse? Offer to clean out stalls in return for riding time. Want to take guitar lessons? Offer to mow the instructor's lawn in return for lessons. Get your parent's permission and then make sure you follow through on your end.

69. Exercise in the pool. It's so much easier than on dry land—and more enjoyable too.

70. Clean your room for absolutely no reason, other than to surprise your Mom.

71. Play hide and go seek—in the DARK! Turn off all the lights in the house... and play for hours. Warning—this can get a bit raucous. Parental permission required.

72. Learn how things work. Explanations of how gps and the fax machine work are scheduled in the Homeschool.com news. Every month, we are going to explain how one piece of technology works. You can find out how just about anything works by going to www.howstuffworks.com.

73. Try a food you've never tasted before. Come on... take a bite!

74. Dream big!

75. Check out the websitewww.freerice.com. Learn and help people at the same time.

76. With your parent's permission, have a yard sale and donate the proceeds to charity.

101. Last but not least... get ready for school to resume. Summer is GREAT but so is the fall!

*This article published June 8, 2010.

This list of 101 Things to do this Summer has been brought to you by Laurel Springs School. Laurel Springs was established in 1991 and is accredited with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Laurel Springs offers your student an individualized education plan with more than 350 courses to choose from. No other distance learning program compares to Laurel Springs.